A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is the primary way to refer to or address data on the Internet. Examples of data include HyperText Markup Language (HTML) documents, image files, video files, and other resources. In general, an URL is a string of characters conforming to a standardized format that refers to data on the Internet by their location. For example, an URL may include the data's name (e.g., file name) preceded by a hierarchy of directory names in which the data are stored. Additionally included in an URL, for example, is the communication protocol and the Internet domain name of the server that hosts the data.
Currently, to reference a location in a document (e.g., HTML document), the URL provides an anchor identifier that points to a specific location within the document. The anchor identifier follows the server and pathname of the URL and is separated by the # number sign. A corresponding anchor is inserted into the specific location in the document. When a Web browser reads an URL with an anchor identifier, the anchor identifier indicates to the client Web browser that it should begin displaying or scrolling the document from the specified location of the anchor.
A limitation associated with the anchor is that the anchor could only point to a specific location in the document. The anchor cannot reference a particular region or portion of the document. Thus, an URL cannot be used to reference a region in the document. The anchor limitation also limits the functionalities of application programs that may need more granularity or level of detail when using URLs to point to a document.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for continuing efforts to improve the reference capabilities of an URL.